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Lemon Cucumber/ Cucumis sativus/ Vellarikka (Malayalam)/ Dosakai (Telugu)
I have this ginormous folder with recipes printed out from all over the Inty-Net – over 1000 recipes neatly categorised by types of vegetables – greens, root veggies, allium, squashes, gourds, yadda yadda.
I realised that I haven’t opened that darn folder in two years. (I have another for “desserts”. I don’t remember when I last opened that one.) I’m quite content with knowing one (or two) good ways of cooking each type of veggie.
And then there are five ways I like to deal with most veggies.
1. Juice them.
2. Zap them into a smoothie or soup in my monster Vitamix (Yes, you can make hot soup directly in the Vitamix without ever approaching a stovetop. Even a nine-year old can do it.)
3. Dunk the raw or steamed veggies into yogurt for a raita.
4. Slice them thin and oven-bake them into crisps or, alternatively chips.
We do that with root veggies – potatoes, sweet potatoes, lotus root, parsnips. Also with things like bittergourd and plantains.
5. Then for assorted stragglers in the crisper, or simply things we’re not sure what to do with, we dunk them in lentils and pop them in the pressure cooker. Done. Like that half bunch of spring onions we always have left over.
See a pattern? I’m willing to do a few minutes of prep work, and then it can take as long as it wants to cook, but i’m not hovering over a stove babying it.
Seriously, who needs hundreds and thousands of recipes if you aren’t going to use them? I’d have mailed that big honking file to someone, but it’d cost a good amount to ship and i’m not sure if it’s worth that.
We hardly consult our recipe books any more. Both of us cook on the fly and refuse to spend more than 10 minutes – 15 max – fussing around the kitchen on a weeknight. The elaborate recipes with 15 steps and 20 ingredients that start with “chop and fry 2 onions” that may feature here in the future are all from old drafts.
So I bought this lemon cuke a week ago simply because it looked darn cute. This cuke is sweet, lemony and juicy – like a tart honeydew melon – absolutely delicious just with salt and cayenne. There’s a very simple recipe from Kerala with coconut I make with it (will post it soon), but this time, I just decided to do the dal thing. The fuckupability factor is low and there isn’t a version of this barebones lentil dish that we haven’t liked.
Serves 4 to 5
Boil together in a pressure cooker (2-3 whistles) or on the stovetop
2.5 cups skinned and cubed lemon cuke
1/2 cup toor/arhar dal (split pigeon peas)
**any split peas or lentils will work.
salt to taste
1 tsp chopped green chillies
1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger
1/3 tsp turmeric
2 cups water
After the pressure is released, open the lid and mash everything together. Add more hot water if you want to thin it out.
Add 2 to 3 tbsps chopped herbs.
It’s usually cilantro or basil, but this time we used dill from our herb garden.
Heat
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) – vegans use oil
and add
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
When they sizzle and turn a shade darker, add it to the dal. Stir and serve.
Lemon Cuke with Lentils goes to Weekend Herb Blogging @ Maninas: Food Matters.
Tonight’s Dinner: Lemon Cuke Dal with Sourdough Rotis
Atta/chapati flour/roti flour = fine whole wheat flour used to make flatbreads.
Dear Indian and Canadian atta manufacturers,
I’ve baked a couple hundred breads and made several stacks of rotis in my lifetime. I’ve handled enough flour to know that all of your attas – except Annapurna and Aashirvaad – suck tomatillos. Half of you add
all purpose flourstale all purpose flour to the mix and grind it too fine. Even the bugs stay away from them.Those of you who don’t add stale all purpose flour to the mix grind it too fine as well. Whatever you call it – “durum flour”, “whole wheat flour” (note how you don’t say “100%”), or “my grandpa’s snuff” – it doesn’t matter. It has very little texture or flavour.
My Indian grocer carried those two decent brands for a few months and I even baked a few breads with them. Then he couldn’t source them. Guess what? I made these sourdough rotis with Wheat Montana regular whole wheat flour. I would prefer a finer grind, but this flour is good. Go to a regular grocery store in the U.S. Even Hell-Mart will do. There are even a host of organic brands available. Buy a bag. Open it and inhale the aroma slowwwwwly. Then smell the tripe that you sell. Notice the difference?
I’m done hunting for a decent atta. I’ve tried almost every brand there is – those named after assorted Indian girls, goddesses, the fat doughboy, the saint, the glittery place of worship, the lion, the ’60s Indian actress with the beehive hairdo. I.AM.DONE.
That thing that you call “chakki atta”?? Change it to “sucky atta”. That’s what it truly is. Yeah, yeah, I know “chakki” means “stone ground”. Guess what? Stale flavourless flour, even stone ground, sucks.
Sincerely,
Bee, the Jugalbandit.
Recipe for sourdough rotis HERE.
I used 1/4 cup starter with 1.25 cups flour and got 10 small rotis. I’m no expert roti maker. I make them maybe four times a year. (Even less reason to store a separate bag of atta and another of whole wheat flour in the fridge.)
I even got 9 out of these 10 to puff up. Like this. Me want to jive to Jai Ho.
If you’re wondering if I just called Jai a Ho, I didn’t. In Hindi,
Jai = Victory.
Hona = To Be.
Jai Ho = Be Victorious.
Music by AllahRakha Rahman
Film: Slumdog Millionaire
The rotis go to my favourite baker for YeastSpotting.
Have a non-sucky weekend,
bee
Filed Under: arhar-dal, atta, chapati flour, Chillies/Peppers, Dill, Ginger, Lemon Cucumber, Lentils, MUSINGS, sourdough, split-pigeon-peas, toor-dal, vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes, Wheat, whole grains, whole-wheat
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55 Comments
Bee,
Even i agree with the quality of the atta we get here…..i used to buy annapurna but for almost 2 yrs my Indian grocery doesnt get it….or he cannt get it…i have tried everything ….recently i have switched to the whole wheat flour we get in US stores….they turn out fine….i would love to try this dal….by the way the cookies turned out just awesome,….thanks
rashmi
Jai ho! you did find a good alternative Bee. Is Jai going on an expedition? I can see you with the roti atta all over you and doing the Jai Ho with the rolling pin.:)
Oh ! talk about the quality of attas. HOnestly even the Annapurna Atta that we get out here in HK is horrible – I strongly believe that these Indian grocers here get the stuff imported from India and then adulterate it here and pack it up again.
And there are NO other whole wheat/wheat alternatives available here in terms of flour !!! So its basically the same theory – Andhe ke raaj mein kaana mama raja !!
Oh wow dal looks comforting and yum…..I think it made a good accomplishent with roti. Really Jai Ho in preparing soft roti’s……
I have started to hate making chapatis and main reason is they taste like maida chapatis. I am ordering 5lbs from the link you gave. I doubt I will find that brand here. I have tried Whole Foods’ whole wheat atta once in the past but chapatis come out pretty dense.
Well, at any rate I learnt a new word – fuckupability!!! I’m gonna use it this weekend. Good way to gear up!!
There was a show on the telly that mentioned that Annapurna atta has extra added moisture for the ‘softest rotis’ making it unfit for storing. The grocery malls out here have chakkis installed… so we get freshly ground atta right away.
Lemon cucumber is a new veggie for me.
I can’t believe you’re *not* an expert roti maker. 9/10 is amazing (okay, I suck at bread). Looks like a wonderfully hearty meal!
Dal looks so comforting…:)
The cucumber in your photo, I know it more as Kerala cucumber. Love the mustardy curd pachadi made from it.
What we call dosakai in Telugu, I get confused whether it’s melon or lemon cucumber, an English name I picked up from the blogs. Think I’ve called it both in my blog
I used to mash up the dosakai with the dal too, but only a few months ago learnt that after the pressure cooker is open, most of the cucumber pieces are pushed aside and the dal is mashed then, allowing for more of the vegetable to come through – it’s an extra step but I enjoy the more classic taste now. We Telugus also add some tamarind to the mix. Your bowl of dal looks beautiful.
Yup absolutely agree – we do the ‘fry two chopped onions’ recipes only if we are in the mood to cook, and usually on a Saturday….else most times its veggys, dals and spices in the pressure cooker. Infact sometimes I even add tamarind (or tomatoes if I am lazy tpo soak and squeeze tamarind) and sambar powder to make sambar. No seasoning nothing. I love the fresh and healthy feeling of everything pressure cooked – not to mention the simplicity!
I didnt know atta abroad is bad. It is good now I know! Mom in laws been after me to get some from the Indian store…as she feels the whole wheat flour from super market is ‘coarse’!! will just show this post – and avoid a useless train ride to an Indian Store!!
Oh what fun! Whenever I see “and a rant” now in a Jugalbandi blog post title I read it first – before anything else in my inbox. What a treat it is to get a Blast from the Bee!
I am nearly completely uneducated with regard to Indian foods so cannot comment with any specificity about rotis, but know that many brands of tortillas found sitting on store shelves are often similarly awful when compared to fresh or home made.
Which illustrates something – without an authentic point of reference, I wonder how many foods I buy that are supposedly “Indian” or “Thai” or “German” or “Mexican” even remotely resemble what they claim to be? Even in non-chain restaurants I suppose it could be luck of the draw.
Thanks for keeping it real, Bee!
Jai is Ho and Bee is a Pimp or is it the other way round? YES!! I just felt a thump of a big jadoo Bee Ho threw at me or is it from Jai Ho? ;D
Atta; I am sick of Indian stuff too. Only brand I really liked is “Sujata” but I only go to “little India” once in 3 months, so I don’t get that always. Others are so fine and gummy when made into dough, tastes nothing like my mom used to do.She would buy a sack of wheat grain, Sun it for a while and get it ground in a big machine in India. It used to smell so good in the kitchen when they made chapatis and so soft. Here I get by somehow. Tried making them with US wheat flour, get little tough because they leave the fiber in, I don’t want to start sieving the flour every time I want to make chapatis.
Lemon cuke? Never saw it US grocery store. I once bought a cucumber which is yellow, did a Andhra dish with it. Dal looks delicious. Jai HO!
I wanted to post a question in your forum about food-labeling in Indian foods today and here I see this post! The lady who we source rotis from swears she uses whole wheat atta but it tastes more like APF to me. Now I see why!
I’ve been using Swad Brown Basmati rice from the Indian store for the past 2 months or so, I find the texture to be somewhere between brown rice and white rice. I didn’t bother to check the label until recently and I’m confused by what I saw. 1.5 oz of this brown rice has 0 fibre and the protein content is 17g!! That’s more than twice the amount of protein found in chicken breast of the same serving size. I am *very* confused.
if you’re talking protein per calories, brown rice wouldn’t be far from chicken. if you’re talking protein by volume, i’m not sure. read “live to eat” by joel fuhrman for a complete explanation of why greens and plant food are more protein-dense than meat. or this:
http://jugalbandi.info/2008/03/plant-protein-q-a/
That is my kinda dal, throw it in the cooker with veggies & a slight tarka. my comfort food.
I agree with the sucky atta.. i tried a lot & started using sujata brand now. I have tried, mixing the whole wheat (bought separatley) with the desi atta in roti, but for some reason my body cannot take whole wheat.. in this form.. allergy report came back as allergic to wheat! but in any other form of whole wheat like in baked bread & stuffs, i do not have reactions. I make roti almost every single day:-D.. when having desi stuff..
didn’t know english name for it, see it as dosakai.. looks the same atleast.
Simple & yum…
Cucumber in a daal.. something I have never tried before! Does the cucumber smell after it is cooked ? I mean like the normal one… dunno how I can explain it.
I hear ya on the atta thing! they suck big time. remember I used Sujata for a while, but during pregnancy ( and gestational diabetes) I had a small piece of a fulka and the darn bit catapulted my blood-sugar level horribly!
I now use Annapurna and Swarna which I find is also good.
this dal doesn’t have any “smell”.
If these lemon cukes are same as dosakai or its cousin, its great juiced with a bit of sugar. Dal + Veggie combination have sustained us for ages and with the pressure cooker in
the mix its hard to beat.
I was ready for a tantrum on desi wheat flours as well. Found a brand called Maharaja wheat flour which was coarse and the rotis great but the next time I want the same thing can’t find it. Store owner says he got some complaints that the flour is not as fine as the usual ones
and I bet he is not going to source it again. Bought Sujata brand, it is not as good as whole wheat but better than the other so called chakki attas.
I am with you on the rant! The only Atta I can even think of using is Sujatha, which is actually Pillsbury , I think.The other day, one guy was trying to sell me unbleached wheat flour parathas saying that it is actually better than whole wheat.Go figure !
The rotis look really good, btw and I love veggies & dals in any combination.The easier to cook, the better it is..
This is very interesting..!I would love to try it though I dont think I`ll ever find that kind of cucumber here..
You know something really interesting is that it is only recently I have discovered cucumbers being used for cooking!When I was in Jordan recently,I had one of the most delicious soups i have ever tried!And it was made of regular cucumbers! AMAZing..! I will definitely try the rotis though!Im dying to do them..thanx!Mia
I am just like you guys, don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. I have a big pile of cooking books which I never touch, but still buy more
I like to whip up instant recipes that won’t take much time.
Daal with lemon cucumber looks so good and comforting. It must have tasted divine with those rotis.
You just spoke my mind ..we pay here almost 13 euros for 5 kg. Pillsbury. and those other brands I am too skeptical to buy them.
Unfortunately I don’t get the other wheat flour here. the organic product range has it but it is too rough to get the rotis done.
Lovely daal. I remember in Bangalore they make “Majjige huli” with this cucumber( must be done in Kerala too). Yogurt based gravy with fresh coconut , green chillies etc.
Damn. I just bought my first ever bag of atta yesterday, after always using good, ordinary flour!
great post on Atta and how to use different veggies!
What a blast about atta! I am not a big pro of making rotis so buy a small pack of whole wheat, but ur rotis looks perfectly soft! 2 weeks back, I spotted Cotsco selling Drum wheat atta, all indians were caring a huge sac, don’t have any idea of brand!
Never heard of lemon cucumbers before nor of cooking cucumbers in a dal – but I always love dal so would be curious to try
I have lots of bookmarked recipes and recipe books and love the inspiration they give me – admittedly I spend too long cooking and it can tire me out on occasion but it also is my relaxation and I love eating interesting and different dishes – my main problem is feeling overwhelmed by all the things I want to try – but I do go through phases where I cook different ways and have been through a simplicity phase but am past that now!
If it helps anyone here: When my parents lived in the US when there weren’t many Indian vegs available, they would make cucumber dal with the salad cucumber – can’t imagine it but they claim it was a reasonable substitute. My aunt said she used zuchchini in place of ridge gourd.
I’ve never tried the Kerala dosakai but the Andhra dosakai is good with salt and chilli powder too, like mangoes.
Well The cucumber in picture looked more like a small pumpkin(Bhopla in Hindi) ,and i never knew a thing like Lemon Cucumber exists.
Regarding cookbooks, well honestly speaking i own just 2 of them and sadly i don’t use any, coz all of the recipes call for one or other ingredient that is not generally available in my pantry and i hate to Stock things specifically for a particular dish .I find Food blogs more friendly, more useful,and more simplified than cook books
The dal looks absolutely yum, and thats my best comfort food(Dal+Rice+Roti+Subzi)
Regarding Atta, well i tested(tasted) almost all the brands available in Mumbai Malls, and though Ashirwaad is better than other, but i still find the Local Flour mill grind Atta more easy to knead, the dough being more manageable and results in more soft Rotis. Though its cumbersome for me too(A homemaker, not fighting on home and job front simultaneously) to sieve, pick and then send wheat to flour mill, but trust me, thats the best option that works for me.
I generally add some soyabean flour or Thanks to Dk of culinary bazaar, some Oats flour to make Rotis more Nutritious , and i seriously doubt the claims of packed Atta companies when they say that it do not have any Maida(coz the dough is highly elastic, a thing not possible without Maida)
Love the photo of the cuke. And I agree, can’t seem to spend more than 20 minutes in front of a hot stove in this Indian heat!
Hmm.. the Atta is a huge problem here too and I’m ashamed to say we’ve stuck to something ( that I can’t remember) and not changed coz we don’t make Rotis as often nowadays.
I’m going to look into that after this post. And I know about the folder. I have them too. A keeps making fun of me saying I wasted energy – not mine(!) by printing them out and adding more junk in the house
Ok, I just saw your comment at Sia’s. About trying that gravy wiht peanut butter.
Please DO. I tried that with peanut butter instead of peanut powder ( coz I’m a peanut butter freak ) and we literally licked the bowl clean and made it again the next day with an assortment of veggies. Please to try with peanut butter!
*done my good deed for the day*
Lovely pic of vellarikkai. I like your email to atta makers.. we use sujata.. do u think , it got AP Flour too?
Wow, I didn’t know you could heat soup in a vitamix?!
Love the cuke Dal and a wonderful post !
And hey, i would like to invite you to participate in Think Spice event that iam hosting this month
http://appetitetreats.blogspot.com/2009/04/think-spicethink-caraway.html
I’m so glad I finally managed to acces your blog…yeah !!! I’ve been trying for like close to 4 months to have a peek at your blog, but it always gave me a ‘broken link error’…then switched from IE to Mozzila and still same problem…Today, I just tried and it went thru, just like that !! Love you blog – very informative and super pics
Thank u.No offense meant when I used the word smell, just did not find the right words to express.
[...] Lemon cucumber with lentils ~ Jai & Bee from Jugalbandi (North Western U.S.) [...]
I went and bought some packet of whole wheat flour from TJ and oh my it was so fresh. Chapatis are still soft after one and half day!
Thank you so much for sharing
They must be exporting some different quality of Annapurna and Aashirvaad because what we get here sucks – just maida.
Pilsbury on the other hand is good but dont seem to get it in Delhi – I have now switched to buying from the aurobindo ashram outlet nearby which carries chakki atta and its really good.
I hear you on the “as less time as possible” bit – gourds are so adaptable, one can put them into anything and they “adjust” :0
I’ve never used atta but I came this close to buying a big bag of it at Costco the other day — glad I though twice, and thanks for the heads-up. Love the rotis and the dal, as always.
You say rant and I am right here. At least now I know which Atta to look for and alternatives that we have.
I just bought my daughter a grain grinder she’s the real bread baker)for her birthday. We’re in Hawaii and I think stale is normal by the time flour gets here. I’m going to start grinding flour myself, since I don’t use all that much. That way you control the fineness of the grind.
[...] Sourdough Rotis [...]
APF in whole wheat flour? what a rip-off!.Just checked my bag,relieving it says 100% WF:)
Thank you for suggesting an alternative. I got so frustrated trying the Indian attas that I stopped making rotis altogether. And I missed them. Sourdough rotis sound delicious!
[...] 14, 2009 by shoba After reading about Bee’s rant of Atta available in Indian stores and with all the experiences that I have had so far with Indian store [...]